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Successful television writer, producer to address graduating seniors at IU Bloomington baccalaureate
May 1, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington has a tradition of inviting a graduating student and parent to speak at its annual baccalaureate ceremony. On Friday (May 4), John Rappaport, an Emmy-nominated writer, television producer and proud parent, will help graduates reflect on their future after college.
The ceremony will begin at the IU Auditorium with an organ prelude at 4:45 p.m. CDT, followed by the rest of the program at 5 p.m. The event will last about an hour. Baccalaureate is a reflective ceremony that encourages graduates to look back at their days at IU and contemplate the new adventures that lie ahead.
Also in attendance will be IU President Myles Brand; Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis, IU vice president for academic affairs and chancellor of the Bloomington campus; Gwyn Richards, interim dean of the School of Music; Maureen Keller, a graduating senior and outgoing president of the Student Alumni Association; and members of the popular student singing group Straight No Chaser.
John and Lee Rappaport, of Encino, Calif., are the parents of three children, including a daughter, Jamie, who will graduate from IU on Saturday with a bachelor of science degree in sports marketing, and a son, Scott, who is completing his freshman year at IU. Their other daughter, Stacy, is married and lives in Los Angeles.
A native of Highland Park, Ill., Rappaport also is an alumnus of IU and today is an active member of the Producers Guild of America. He has served on its board of directors since 1984.
Rappaport broke into network television when he joined the writing staff of the No. 1 television program, "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." He later became story editor for the groundbreaking programs "All in the Family" and "Maude," before becoming executive script consultant for "The Odd Couple" and creative consultant for "Night Court."
He is best known for his work on the TV classic, "M*A*S*H." He was the program's supervising producer and head writer for four years, including when the series concluded with the most-watched program in television history. He has written several comedy specials, including the first "Lily Tomlin Special," which brought him one of his eight Emmy nominations. He also has written and produced 23 network pilots.
He is in the halls of fame for the National Association of Broadcasters and the Producers Guild of America and is the recipient of three Humanitas Prizes, four People's Choice awards and a Golden Globe award.
IU Bloomington's commencement activities will begin Friday with the traditional graduation send-off from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. CDT at Bryan House, the Bloomington campus home of President Brand and his wife, IU Professor Peg Brand. The send-off will be followed by the baccalaureate ceremony.
Gros Louis will be IU Bloomington's commencement speaker on Saturday (May 5) and will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, one of 11 honorary degrees that IU will confer during six different campus ceremonies. This will be IU's 172nd year of commencement activities.
Commencement will be in Memorial Stadium at 10 a.m. In the event of severe weather, commencement will be held in two sessions in Assembly Hall with the following schedule: at 10 a.m., Kelley School of Business; School of Education; School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation; School of Law; School of Music; School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and University Graduate School (doctoral candidates in the above areas); at 3:30 p.m., College of Arts and Sciences; School of Continuing Studies; School of Journalism; School of Library and Information Science; School of Optometry; and University Graduate School (doctoral candidates in the above areas).
(Susan Dillman, 812-856-9035, sdillman@indiana.edu or George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)